


Bloom Within Your Heart

by Dreamy_Ideal



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Drinking, Fluff, M/M, Neighbors, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 06:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14688582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamy_Ideal/pseuds/Dreamy_Ideal
Summary: Yixing's house is covered with vines and moss and bushes overnight. Next door, Kyungsoo just wonders if the man is okay.





	Bloom Within Your Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #: 507  
> Pairing: Yixing/Kyungsoo  
> Rating: G  
> Warnings: None
> 
> Author's Note: Thank you to the mods for running such an awesome fest! Also shout out to all the writers that participated, if no one's told you they're proud of you for finishing your work just know that I am :) And of course thank you to my prompter, I hope you enjoy this!

The house was almost certainly not like that the day before.

 

When Kyungsoo opened his curtains in the morning right after he woke up he didn’t really look out of the window. He didn’t need to; the view rarely changed. He just wanted to let the sunlight in to help him wake up. This morning, however, before he turned away to go and finish getting ready for work, he caught a glimpse of something that made him do a double take. After a solid second of gaping he shuffled to put on a hoodie and some shoes.

 

“Zhang Yixing!”

 

As he walked next door he passed by one of the older ladies that lived a few blocks away, walking with her poodle. She was marveling at the same thing Kyungsoo was as she continued on slowly down the sidewalk. When she heard Kyungsoo calling for Yixing she turned and looked at him. He paused long enough to give her a respectful greeting.

  
“Has this been like this?” She asked him without stopping. Her little dog barked and barked, trying to pull itself in the direction of Yixing’s house.

 

“No, this is very new. Excuse me.” Kyungsoo left her to her confusion so he could solve his own. “Zhang Yixing!”

 

His house was covered in vines. Utterly covered in vines and ivy and braches as though the earth was trying to claim Yixing’s home for itself. The only thing visible was a window on the second floor. “Yixing,” he shouted one more time, in hopes that said window was the one to Yixing’s bedroom. Failing to get a response, Kyungsoo remembered his phone sitting back on his nightstand and ran back so he could get it.

 

The first call took him to Yixing’s voicemail, so he dialed again as he returned outside and to the front of the house. This time there was someone else standing there, a tall man with soft pink hair. He was wearing a black hoodie and joggers, and from his heavy breathing and the sweat dripping down his face Kyungsoo had to assume that he was in the middle of his morning run.

 

Again his call was led to voicemail. Between ending the call and dialing again Kyungsoo caught the man’s eyes. He smiled at him wide and bright before bowing in greeting. Though his smile was more reserved Kyungsoo did the same. He’d never seen the man before…maybe he was from another neighborhood and passing through but got distracted by the mess that was currently Yixing’s house.

 

“That was not like that when I left this morning,” the man said, his smile dropping down into a more worried expression. Kyungsoo looked at him again, his brows pressed down in thought. For a second he believed that maybe his neighbor had slipped under his radar over the year that he been there but that he knew he would have noticed the other man. His height alone would have caught his attention.

 

Reading his mind, the man turned to him and bowed again. “Park Chanyeol, I moved in a few days ago.” He gestured to the house to the right of Yixing’s. That explained it. Kyungsoo had been out camping with Minseok up until the day before, and he’d spent the majority of that day cleaning and getting ready for the following day of work. If Chanyeol had been fully moved in by the time Kyungsoo got back he wouldn’t have noticed anything different.

 

“Doh Kyungsoo, nice to meet you.” Kyungsoo echoed Chanyeol’s actions and pointed out his house off to Yixing’s left side. After he did he tried again to dial Yixing. He was beginning to think that one of those vines slipped into his window and strangled him, or that he got stabbed by a branch. Hopefully none of that was the case; Kyungsoo didn’t want to have to explain the situation to the police.

 

He also didn’t want to explain it to his new neighbor, but when he pointed to his house he only said, “Yixing?” Kyungsoo nodded. Chanyeol cupped his hands around his mouth.

 

“HEY! YIXING!”

 

Kyungsoo flinched away from the man, not expecting him to get as loud as he did. “Oh I’m sorry, I should have warned you, that was stupid of me.” He shook his head to Chanyeol’s apology.

 

“I’m fine.” It did the trick anyway. Seconds later the window was flung open and out popped the naked upper half of Yixing’s body. One eye was pinched fully shut while the other one looked down at the sidewalk, zeroing in on Kyungsoo.

 

“Why are you shouting?”

 

“You wouldn’t pick up your phone!”

 

“What wrong?”

 

Clearly oblivious to what was going on with his house Kyungsoo raised his hand and made a sweeping gesture at all the vines curling around his fence and the bushes keeping him from getting to Yixing’s front door. One look and both of Yixing’s eyes flew open, the shock of it waking him up fully. “What happened?”

 

“That’s what I want to know!”

 

Yixing disappeared back into the house. Kyungsoo looked at the shrubbery that took over the walkway. He was going to have to wage war in order to get to the front door. “Hold on,” Chanyeol said as he began a side shuffle in the direction of his house. “Hold on I’ve got a pair of shears. I’ll be right back.”

 

“You don’t have--” Kyungsoo didn’t want to inconvenience the new neighbor but he was already gone and in his own yard. He took that opportunity to dial Yixing’s phone yet again, expecting an answer since he knew he was up. It took barely half a ring for him to pick up. “So what did you do?”

 

“Nothing! Everything was normal when I went to sleep!”

 

“Are you…sleep growing now?”

 

“No!” A pause. Kyungsoo could hear him breathing and clambering around with something. “I don’t think so. I’ve never done it before.”

 

Kyungsoo knew about whatever ability Yixing had to a certain extent. Yixing never explicitly said anything to him, but shortly after moving in Kyungsoo stumbled onto him by an all but dead tree in one of their neighbors’ yard, nursing it back to health with a soft light emanating from his hand. Kyungsoo tried to get away before Yixing noticed him but he failed to. Yixing laughed it off and attribute it to good fertilizer but they both knew he would have been better off saying he was innocently watching the tree fast forward itself through the healing and growing process. Since then they had an unspoken agreement never to bring it up again. Even as news reports of Skilled people began to surface Kyungsoo stuck to their agreement.

 

A year without mentioning was it pretty good, but they were going to have to talk about how they ended up with a forest where Yixing’s house was supposed to be, lest the whole neighborhood got swept up in the mess.

 

“I don’t think so,” Yixing said again a lot more thoughtfully. “I think I would have known by now for sure if I could do that in my sleep, don’t you think so?”

 

“I have no clue, but we’re making a way for you to get out.”

 

“We?”

 

“New neighbor. You didn’t see him?”

 

“Ah no, I was—I’m coming, I need to find a clean shirt.”

 

Yixing hung up, leaving Kyungsoo to stare at his jungle of a yard. Then he glanced at the time on his phone and sighed. He knew his boss wouldn’t give him the entire day off but he was sure enough in his ability to talk him into overlook him being a few hours late. It wouldn’t be long enough to sort out Yixing’s whole house, rather just long enough to make him a way out of there with enough time for Kyungsoo to get cleaned up.

 

He made the negotiation call while he walked back to his house and got his pair of gardening gloves. Kyungsoo didn’t have any tools that weren’t rusted beyond a small shovel so they were going to have to deal with what he could do with his hands. Once he had his boss’ blessing to miss a few hours he put on a better pair of shoes and walked back to Yixing’s house.

 

Chanyeol was already there with his shears, shouting with Yixing through the tangle of greenery that separated them. “When I said we should get together soon I was thinking more like coffee or drinks or something!” Yixing’s voice wasn’t nearly as loud, so Kyungsoo couldn’t hear what he said in reply, but it made Chanyeol laugh. “Maybe next time then.”

 

“I didn’t have anything to cut with,” Kyungsoo said when he stepped up beside Chanyeol.

 

“That cool. Some of this stuff is easy to pull.” Chanyeol demonstrated by grabbing a handful of vines and thin branches branches and tugging them away, tossing them to the sidewalk. “I can loosen up the tough stuff, you can pull and throw, and Yixing can clean it up afterwards. Sounds good?” Kyungsoo nodded. “Awesome. Okay Yixing, here we come!”

 

“I’ll try to meet you guys halfway!”

 

Chanyeol made small talk with Kyungsoo as they worked on cutting through Yixing’s yard like a pair of explorers. Kyungsoo didn’t like to but he was willing to make an exception, both because of Chanyeol being a new arrival to the neighborhood and because idle talk about the restaurants that delivered nearby and the quietness of the area in comparison to others kept them far away from the topic of why the hell they were having to tunnel their way to their mutual neighbor when yesterday, hell, when just before Chanyeol set out on his run, he had a perfectly normal, if a bit slightly unkempt, lawn. 

 

Chanyeol quickly worked up a sweat again and Kyungsoo was right there with him, wiping away the collection of it on his forehead with his sleeve. It started to feel like they had miles to clear away before they reached Yixing’s door, and Kyungsoo strongly considered tapping so he could ensure he got to work on time. Just as he was ready to speak up and apologize and bow out to shower Kyungsoo started picking up on the faint sounds of Yixing moving around, huffing and puffing as much as his neighbors. Not too soon after that Chanyeol narrowly avoided getting stabbed in the face by Yixing’s knife.

 

“I’m sorry!” Yixing’s face was briefly visible in the hole he made, looking apologetic. Chanyeol laughed.

 

“It’s okay, a nose scar would have made me look so badass.” Between the three of them they were able to cut and wrestle out a hole big enough for Yixing to step through. “You gotta tell me what stuff you use. I kill everything I try to grow but I think this stuff could hold up to my touch of death.”

 

Yixing chuckled softly and awkwardly, using his free hand to rub at some scratches on his cheek. “If I find the bag I’ll let you now, but maybe you should use something else. Better to have only one out of control garden in the neighborhood right?” Chanyeol’s laugh was a little more natural than Kyungsoo’s obligatory chuckle. “Thank you for your help, I think I would have been digging all day by myself.” Yixing bowed, both to Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.

 

“Don’t mention it,” Chanyeol said before Kyungsoo could reply. He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Shit, I need to go get ready for work, talk to you later?” Yixing nodded and Chanyeol smirked at him before turning Kyungsoo’s way. “Nice to meet you.”

 

“You too.”

 

“Maybe next time we can do it without the out of control vines.” Kyungsoo chuckled again and waved to Chanyeol as he backwards jogged out of the tunnel they made and out of sight. As soon as he was gone Kyungsoo fixed his eyes on Yixing.

 

“Are you really okay?” Aside from the scratches and the flush of work Yixing looked okay. Embarrassed and confused, but alright.

 

“Yea. I really don’t know how this happened. I didn’t get up at all last night. I felt really bad so I drank some tea to help me sleep and went to bed early.” Yixing poked at a vine with his knife. Kyungsoo stared through the hole that Yixing came through, trying to see into the inside of the house.

 

“Did you dream about a jungle or something?” Kyungsoo asked, mostly joking but really not. Considering that Yixing had this ability at all, anything seemed possible.

 

“No. No, I think I was dreaming about—nothing at all. Nope. No dreaming. It was darkness the whole night. No dreams about no people. Not even a little.”

 

Kyungsoo turned back to Yixing and Yixing instantly turned to look down and away from him. The increased redness in his face was obvious even in faint light that streamed in through the leaves. The silence gave him a hunch, and Yixing’s unwillingness to meet his eye turned that hunch into a solid guess.

 

“Were you…is this…were you having a sex dream when you made this?”

 

That got Yixing to look up at him. “No!”

 

“You were. This is a sex dream forest. I’m standing in a den of wet dreams.” Kyungsoo made his accusation with a blank face and an even tone. “You know this isn’t usually what’s supposed to grow when you have them.” Yixing snorted through his embarrassment. “Now that I think about it, those vines over there look like a--”

 

“Ah, quit it now.” Yixing reached out like he was going to shove him and Kyungsoo stepped out of his reach.

 

“I don’t know where your hands have been. It took you awhile to answer us, were you--” Kyungsoo made a jerking motion with his hand. Yixing snatched a handful of leaves from above him and tossed them in Kyungsoo’s direction. Kyungsoo laughed as he shielded himself from the greenery.

 

“Okay, thank you, don’t you have a job to go to?” Kyungsoo’s brief second of mirth was swept away by Yixing’s question.

 

“Yes.” He looked at his phone. He’d have to make the shower quicker than he would have liked but he could still make it to work on time. “Are you really okay?”

 

“I am, seriously. I don’t know how I’ll clean all this up, but I’ll live.” Yixing flashed him a thankful smile. “I owe you one.”

 

“Stop watching porn before bed and we’ll call it even.”

 

Yixing laughed and pointed towards his gate. “Get off my property.”

 

Kyungsoo started to do just that, but a pop of color in all the green caught his eye. A purple rose sat off to the side, safe by just a few inches from all of their hacking and chopping. He grabbed it, wanting to use it to tease Yixing one more time before he left.

 

_ ‘He’s beautiful.’ _

 

Snatching his hand away from the rose, Kyungsoo turned to look at the retreating Yixing. “What did you say?”

 

“Get…get off my property, but I meant it as a joke.”

 

“After that.”

 

“Nothing?”

 

He could have sworn he heard Yixing’s voice. After a few seconds of Yixing staring at him puzzled Kyungsoo shrugged. “I’m hearing things then. See you later.” It took him a beat but Yixing went back down the tunnel to his house. Kyungsoo tried to walk away but the rose grabbed his attention again. It seemed to sparkle, almost glow in his eyes. He brushed his fingertips across the petals.

 

_ ‘He’s beautiful.’ _

 

It was Yixing’s voice, clear as day. It sounded like he was right there beside Kyungsoo but when he checked the tunnel to the front door he found the path empty and the door closed. Growing more curious, Kyungsoo grabbed the flower by the steam and yanked it away.

 

_ ‘He’s beautiful.’ _

 

Yixing’s voice—or his not voice—was soft, full of wonder. The words echoed on an on as he held the rose, gently rubbing his thumb across the perfect, glittering petals. Kyungsoo probably should have wondered what in the hell was going on but as he looked at the flower that question was replaced by another: who did Yixing think was beautiful?

 

“Hey Kyungsoo!”

 

He tucked the flower into his hoodie pocket as quickly as he could without ruining it. Yixing’s head popped out of the tunnel from his house. “If you want, I could bring you by some soju or something after work, as thanks.” Kyungsoo shook his head.

 

“I mean it, just limit your porn and we’re good.” Kyungsoo started back the way he came in.

 

“I really owe you one Kyungsoo!”

 

Back at his house Kyungsoo found a small vase to fill with water and stick the flower into. Even as he showered and changed the words played on repeat in his head.   _ ‘He’s beautiful. He’s beautiful.’ _  Did the flower think—no. He was willing to suspended his disbelief a tad considering the circumstances but there was only so far he would go. The flower wasn’t thinking anything.

 

Knowing that he wasn’t going to get any answers that satisfied him Kyungsoo let it go. Yixing was okay and was going to clean things up, so Kyungsoo felt fine filing the whole morning in the ‘never speak of again’ cabinet that he initially put Yixing’s skill into.

 

On his way out to his car Kyungsoo saw Yixing and Chanyeol talking out on the sidewalk. The new neighbor caught his eye and waved at him, smiling brightly. Kyungsoo waved at him and Yixing. Yixing mouthed a thank you before giving his attention back to Chanyeol. Whatever Yixing said made him laugh, clapping his hand down on Yixing’s shoulder while Yixing laughed with him.

 

_ ‘He’s beautiful.’ _

 

Kyungsoo regarded them for another second. Then, shrugging it off in his head, he left for work.

 

\--

 

The ‘never speak of it again’ cabinet burst open almost 24 hours later. Kyungsoo woke up to an SOS text from Yixing, and when he went next door he found a resurgence of the plant life. It wasn’t nearly as dramatic as it was the day before; in fact Kyungsoo could clearly see the areas where Yixing had successfully got things trimmed down. Yixing’s door was blocked, however, and Yixing said that he’d been trying for an hour on his own and couldn’t get the branches and vines to budge. It took a couple of good yanks but Kyungsoo was able to free the door enough for Yixing to get through.

 

“I really don’t know,” he said before Kyungsoo could ask him. “It was the same as yesterday.”

 

“So you were dreaming about something you’re too embarrassed to talk about?”

 

“It’s not that type of thing,” Yixing denied Kyungsoo’s between the lines accusation. He snapped his fingers suddenly. “But I did dream of flowers last night! I was in a field of them, actually.” He turned his head, taking in his better than yesterday but still bad lawn. “Ah, but there aren’t any flowers here, what the hell?”

 

“Is there anyone you can ask about this?”

 

“My grandmother. She might know something. I can’t miss work again though.”

 

“I can’t be late either,” Kyungsoo pointed out, glancing at the time on his phone.

 

“Thank you again.” Yixing gave him a quick bow. “You really have to let me make this up to you.”

 

“Call you grandmother and tell her about your sleep gardening and we’ll call it even. Again,” Kyungsoo said. Weird as this situation was Kyungsoo wasn’t going to let Yixing go on thinking he owed him something. He was much too nice of a guy. “I’ll see you later.”

 

“Have a good day!”

 

Kyungsoo turned around to go back to his house while Yixing disappeared into his own. On his way out of the tunnel, a bright flash of color caught his eye. Another rose, in the same spot that the one he found the day before was in. This time it glimmered in dark blue. Kyungsoo reached out, drawn to touching it even as he thought that it was better to leave it where it was unbothered. The leaves around it crumbled up when they met Kyungsoo’s fingers but the rose held up to his touch.

 

_ ‘Like light…his smile.’ _

 

It was Yixing’s voice. Kyungsoo knew the accent, the way he paused and sighed sometimes even when the statement didn’t really call for it. Again it was clear as day though Kyungsoo already knew Yixing went back into his house. He lifted and dropped his fingers and the words repeated.  _ ‘Like light…his smile.’  _ The sigh at the end was a little dramatic, like he was suffering.

 

Kyungsoo grabbed the stem of the flower and pulled it away, thorns harmlessly grazing his skin as he did. Did Yixing dream of roses? He found himself growing curious about things despite his better judgment. Why did it take so much extra fuss to grow one flower? His eyes darted towards the door as he tucked the flower away in his pocket.

 

“Morning neighbor!”

 

As he hurried back to his own house, really needing to get on his way, Kyungsoo ran into Chanyeol, who looked like he was ending his morning run. He was breathing hard and leaning over like he wanted to collapse but he still managed a smile for Kyungsoo, wide and toothy.

 

_ ‘Like light…his smile.’ _

 

“Morning.” Kyungsoo returned his standard polite smile. Chanyeol jut a thumb in the direction of Yixing’s house.

 

“Is it any better over there?”

 

“About the same.”

 

“It’s so weird right? But I guess it could be worse, there could be man eating plants in there.” He chuckled a little bit and Kyungsoo politely mimicked the sound.

 

“I’m sorry I can’t stay and talk, I’ve got to--”

 

“Oh, no, yea yea! I’m sorry yea, I didn’t mean to hold you up!” Chanyeol looked genuinely apologetic about the line Kyungsoo used with everyone to get out of conversations so he took a little pity on him and shook his head.

 

“It’s fine, really. Maybe we can talk again some other time.”

 

“Yea, I’d like that!” Was he beaming at Kyungsoo? Who could beam so early in the morning; he just got done talking with one of the brighter people in his life and even he was toned down for the morning hours.

 

_ ‘Like light…his smile.’ _

 

Kyungsoo started walking to his house again but turned over his shoulder to see Chanyeol fall short of getting to his own house, ducking into Yixing’s yard instead. He reached into his pocket, listening to Yixing’s awed, distressed words one more time.

 

Yixing didn’t call him the next morning. Kyungsoo was curious as to what the state of his lawn would be so he set his alarm to go off a little earlier and crept next door. The tunnel remained solid so Yixing wouldn’t be trapped inside that morning but it was clear that more had grown overnight. Though the second floor was still in view everything below it was completely covered by the bushes and vines and small trees. They formed a canopy going from the front of the house to the gate, and when Kyungsoo stepped inside of the tunnel he found that no more light was able to get through the top. He was only able to see his way thanks to Yixing’s porch light and the light that made it through the tunnel entrance.

 

Kyungsoo gravitated towards the spot he was in yesterday. Sure enough there was another rose there. It was pink, emitting its own soft light like the roses that came before it. It was warm when he brushed his fingers against it.

 

_ ‘I lose my breath when he looks at me.’ _

 

When he got back home he placed the pink rose with its siblings into the vase on his dresser. The other two were still glowing and the three of them together cast a soft inviting light that made Kyungsoo stare for a while. Kyungsoo snuck in one more touch before he left the house for work. Yixing’s voice was in that same quiet, wondrous tone that it was in the day before, like he couldn’t believe it was happening to him.

 

Kyungsoo saw him as he was going to his car. Yixing was standing out in front of his house in basketball shorts and a t-shirt, talking to Chanyeol, who again was in his running gear and covered in sweat. They were laughing, Chanyeol reaching to clap down on Yixing’s shoulder. Yixing buckled under the touch but kept his smile. Chanyeol let go of him and side hopped towards his house, waving as he did. Yixing waved make, though it was more subdued.

 

_ ‘I lose my breath when he looks at me. I get stuck for a second and I can’t think of anything else but how he looks at me.’ _

 

He went to go check on Yixing again after work. He found him out in his yard, wearing the same shorts and t-shirt he was in when Kyungsoo left. The tunnel was lit now, several small lanterns hanging from the ‘ceiling’ of it. To his left was still a thick wall of brush but to his right there was a sort of nook carved out. That’s where Yixing was, stuffing leaves and twigs into a bag, his work lit by another lantern on the ground not too far away from him.

 

“Did you spend all day cleaning up?” Yixing made a small startled noise. “Sorry. Hey Yixing.”

 

“It’s okay, I just think these bushes are muting sound. Chanyeol snuck up on me earlier.”

 

Kyungsoo stared blankly at him. Yixing’s eyes got a little wider in the seconds that passed. “You know that helps my theory that you grew these for outdoor sex.”

 

“Ah, Kyungsoo, why are you thinking so much about the sex dreams I’m having?” Touche. Kyungsoo fought back the smile itching at the corner of his lips. Yixing didn’t conceal his, his dimple out in full force. “Do you want details?”

 

“I’ll pass, I don’t think I’m ready for whatever kinks led to this.” Yixing snorted, going back to tossing leaves into his trash bag. “But, seriously, did you have another flower dream?”

 

“Yea, but it wasn’t a field this time, just one.”

 

Kyungsoo thought to the flowers sitting in his bedroom. “Do you remember what it looked like?”

 

“No, just that it was a flower. I saw it and I thought…wow, a flower.”

 

“Poetic.”

 

“It sounds better in Mandarin.” He tied down the full bag he was working with and wiped sweat off of his face with the bottom of his t-shirt. “I talked to my grandmother today. She said this is normal. Not this extreme, but normal. If I give it time it will stop, or calm down at least.”

 

“Did she say what’s making you do this?”

 

“Stress. It’s stress just stress.”

 

He answered it so fast that it made Kyungsoo blink rapidly in surprise. He was defensive about it. His eyes darted away from Kyungsoo, looking up at a gathering of leaves up above his head instead.

 

_ ‘He’s beautiful.’ _

 

_ ‘Like light…his smile.’ _

 

_ ‘I lose my breath when he looks at me.’ _

 

Kyungsoo had his hunch. “Stress. Not because you’re in love?” Yixing looked back down at him like he was frightened.

 

“Love no, no! No, that’s—I—no! That’s silly. And obvi—and silly! All I do is go to work and come home, how would I—who—no! It’s really just stress. We haven’t heard if the show is going to be renewed for another season and I might have to look for another writing job. That’s all! Stress, just stress, real--”

 

“Stress?”

 

“Yes, that!”

 

Kyungsoo nodded. Yixing looked at him warily, like he needed to prepare himself for more of an argument. “Okay.” He didn’t believe Yixing in the slightest but the way his neighbor bumbled through his excuse was more than enough to turn his hunch into a solid theory.

 

Yixing was growing the flowers because he liked someone.

 

So who was the beautiful guy that could keep Yixing from breathing? His curiosity steadily grew.

 

“I hope you can relax soon then,” he said, giving Yixing a bit of a break. “Waiting for your show to be renewed, that’s got to be rough.”

 

“Comes with the territory,” Yixing replied with a wave of his gloved hand. Kyungsoo looked at him with slightly hiked brows, waiting to see if Yixing caught onto what he did. It took a second but his eyes got a little larger. “I mean so, so stressful I don’t know how I sleep at night.” Kyungsoo grinned.

 

“Damn stress.”

 

“Yup.”

 

Kyungsoo laughed at the absurdity of their conversation. At the absurdity of the whole damn situation. “I’m going to go relax myself then. See you later.”

 

“Goodnight Kyungsoo. Sleep well.”

 

The pattern held. The next morning the rose was light gray and Yixing was lamenting about the way he laughed. Contagious, infectious, perfect. He sounded head over heels. The day after that it was yellow and about how Yixing felt standing next to him. The day after that it was red and Kyungsoo didn’t listen to Yixing’s whole thought but he felt justified in his initial thought that he needed to throw up air quotes and wiggle his brows one good time when he talked about Yixing ‘growing flowers’. The amount of extra brush that cropped up varied day by day but he still kept growing flowers.

 

And they all appeared a day after Yixing talked to Chanyeol.

 

Kyungsoo didn’t have to go out of his way to notice this. Every day, whether Kyungsoo was on his way to work or just getting home, the two of them were out in front of Yixing’s house chatting, and they always looked like they were having a good time. Kyungsoo made a point to go over to see Yixing whenever Chanyeol wasn’t around to make sure his garden was under control and he was always tempted to ask about what they talked about so he could tease him. Did he make Yixing’s heart race, did his smile blind him, did he make Yixing come in his pants right there on the spot? But that would mean telling Yixing how he knew about his crush. It would also mean having to give up the flowers he had and explain why he took them.

 

Why he took them was something he didn’t have an answer for yet. He had another question, though, that didn’t have an answer that he deemed much more important:

 

“Why doesn’t he just ask the guy out?”

 

Kyungsoo posed the question a few weeks later to his friends while he drove them home from the store. He looked in the rearview mirror back to Junmyeon and Jongin to find the both of them shrugging. He then looked out of the corner of his eye at Sehun in the passenger seat.

 

“He might not know if the guy is gay,” Sehun offered without looking up from his phone. A sound of agreement rose up from the backseat. Kyungsoo shook his head.

 

“They’ve been flirting, he has to know if  _ I _ know.”

 

Sehun was looking at him when Kyungsoo glanced back in his direction. “You know, it’s okay to say if this guy is you.” He narrowed his side glance before turning back to look at the road. “I’m just saying you know a lot about these guys. It makes more sense for you to be one of them then to be a stalker or something.”

 

“I don’t have to stalk. They’re doing it right in front of my neighbor’s house.”

 

“So you just happen to always be outside when they’re flirting?” Kyungsoo used his pause at a stop sign as an opportunity to turn his glare to the rearview mirror. Jongin ducked out of the way, pointing at Junmyeon who quickly got himself out of view as well.

 

“Yes, I--look, see? Out in the open, I don’t even have to try.”

 

As Kyungsoo pulled up to his house he passed by the men in their usual spot out in front of Yixing’s house, chatting like they always did. Chanyeol didn’t have his head thrown back in laughter but he was smiling widely like he was ready to. Yixing was smiling as well, dimple on full display. Always with that dimple. If that hadn’t hooked Chanyeol Kyungsoo didn’t know what could.

 

“I see what you mean,” Jongin said as Kyungsoo pulled up to the curb of his house.

 

“They could just be really friendly,” Junmyeon tried.

 

“If either of them smile any harder they’ll split their faces.”

 

“More importantly, what’s going on with your neighbor’s house?”

 

While it hadn’t gotten dramatically worse Yixing’s house still looked like it was becoming one with the earth. Yixing had been working on it for a little while but gave up after a week of work was undone after one night. Since then he focused on just keeping his doors and windows clear and let the rest happen.

 

“He’s a fan of Jumanji,” Kyungsoo said nonchalantly. He parked and opened his door before taking a peak in his rearview again. His neighbors had stopped talking to look over at his car, and when Chanyeol met his eyes he grinned and waved. “You guys go ahead.”

 

Kyungsoo got out of the car and approached the blatantly flirting pair with a wave and a smile. Yixing met his eyes, the corner of his lips turning up to flash a smile at him as well. Still with that dimple. Well, Kyungsoo supposed if he had one as nice as his he’d whip it out all the time too.

 

“Having a party?” Yixing asked when Kyungsoo was close enough.

 

“No, just some friends and some drinks. It’s my turn to host hot pot night.”

 

“We have plenty if you want to join us.”

 

Kyungsoo glanced back over his shoulder. Junmyeon and Jongin were lugging grocery bags out of the car but Sehun was standing behind Kyungsoo. “I’ve been over a lot but I’ve never met hyung’s neighbors.”

 

“I’m new,” Chanyeol said.

 

“And I’m usually inside,” Yixing added, and Kyungsoo thought about how that was true before Chanyeol came around. Now he was almost always out.

 

Kyungsoo made a quick round of introductions before repeating Sehun’s invite to their get together. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to--”

 

“Really, it’s fine, come. Sehun’s right, we have more than enough of everything.” Yixing looked excited about the offer while Chanyeol seemed to be disappointed.

 

“I have to go somewhere, but if you guys are still around in a couple of hours…?”

 

“We might still be waiting to eat in a few hours.” Sehun’s reply put that beaming smiling back on Chanyeol’s face. He promised to stop by before hurrying to his house. Yixing stepped towards his own place as well.

 

“I’m going to go put my things down. Give me a few minutes?”

 

“We’re not going anywhere.”

 

Once Yixing was gone Kyungsoo gave Sehun a questioning look. He responded with a shrug, one of his less than innocent ones.

 

“I want to see all this flirting for myself.”

 

Yixing showed up after the group warmed up with a few shots and started doing some of the prep work Kyungsoo order them to do. “It smells amazing," Yixing said as he stepped into the kitchen. His eyes landed on Junmyeon and Jongin and he bowed quickly as he introduced himself. Junmyeon and Jongin did the same but Kyungsoo cut in before the formalities could carry on too long. 

 

“You're a few shots behind, come on and catch up." Kyungsoo stepped away from the stove so he could take the case of beer Yixing was carrying out of his hands, adding it to the mixed collection of alcohol sitting at the end of his table. Kyungsoo poured him a shot of soju but Yixing wandered away from the table and towards Kyungsoo’s former spot at the stove. “It still has an hour left.” 

 

“It smells perfect now.” Junmyeon pointed to Yixing when he made his observation.

 

“See? We should eat now.”

 

Kyungsoo put down the shot glasses and bottles in his hands so he could move back to the stove. He grabbed a clean spoon out of a nearby drawer, dipping it into the broth and holding it out in offering to Yixing.

 

Though he didn’t say anything about it, Kyungsoo did notice that Yixing spruced himself up before he arrived. Out front he had been wearing a t-shirt, his hair flattened down, but now he was in purple flannel and his hair was pushed back, showing off his undercut. He had a pair of round gold frames sitting on his nose and Kyungsoo caught the soft scent of his cologne as he got closer to take a taste of the broth held out for him. He wasn’t overdressed but he was a little more dressed than the group he was joining, gathered around the table in jeans and sweatpants and hoodies and old band t-shirts. Maybe he was dressing to impress the late arrival. Kyungsoo would tease him about that later.

 

Yixing smacked his lips thoughtfully after he cleaned the spoon. He sighed after a moment. “You’re right.”

 

“See?” Kyungsoo said to his pouting, hungry friends chopping vegetables at the table. “Be patient, I’ll put out more snacks.”

 

“Can I help?” Yixing asked and Kyungsoo nodded, gesturing to a free spot at the table. He brought over a cutting board, knife, and the 3 glasses of soju he poured. Yixing started to pass one to Jongin beside him.

 

“All of those are for you,” Kyungsoo said. “I said you were behind, you can drink right?” Yixing gave him a grin.

 

“Yes, and you’d know that if you had let me pay you back with drinks.”

 

“I told you we’re even.” Yixing took his shots, and while he did the rest of his friends around the table looked at Kyungsoo, probably wanting him to fill in some blanks. Kyungsoo waved a hand. “It was for his house.”

 

“I really like Jumanji,” Yixing said, diving out of the way of all the question before they could be launched in his direction. He pointed a finger at Junmyeon’s shirt, his eyes going wide. “You like SNSD?”

 

With that the topic was steered into safer territory. Yixing got along well with Kyungsoo’s friends, and even with the conversation switched from girl groups to work and movies and life Yixing kept up with them. He matched them with drinks as well and soon they were all buzzed and laughing in front of Kyungsoo’s living room TV as they waited for Chanyeol to arrive.

 

“Can you see if he’s still coming?” Kyungsoo asked Yixing after a while. Thankfully the liquor and snacks quieted the complaints of his friends but Kyungsoo’s stomach was beginning to launch some complaints of its own. Yixing dug his phone out of his pocket, because of course he had Chanyeol’s number. As Yixing made his call Kyungsoo excused himself to the kitchen, thinking of starting on the dishes so he didn’t have a mountain left to deal with later on in the night when he was ready to go to sleep.

 

“He says he’s coming this way, maybe 30 more minutes?”

 

Kyungsoo looked back over his shoulder and nodded. Yixing hung back for a moment, standing by the kitchen table. “Can I help you?”

 

“Yea, come on, you can rinse.” Kyungsoo made space for him at the small space by his sink. Yixing stood beside him and took the soapy spoon he held out with a smile. There was a flush to his cheeks, no doubt thanks to all the drinking they had done in a short amount of time.

 

“Thank you for inviting me,” he said, scooting in closer to reach the faucet. The smell of his cologne faded somewhat but it was still there, soft and floral, reminding Kyungsoo of the glowing bouquet sitting on his bedroom dresser. “Your friends are fun, I’m having a good time.”

 

“So you’re relaxed then? No stress?” Yixing nodded.  “So there shouldn’t be any sleep growing tonight right?”

 

Yixing turned his head a little bit. He bit down on his lower lip as his eyes slipped down to look at Kyungsoo’s mouth. His heart jumped a beat. Yixing met his eyes again and let out a giddy laugh. “Don’t hold me to that,” he said, lowering his head as he continued to laugh.

 

“Why? Because it’s not stress?” Yixing covered his eyes with his forearm as Kyungsoo began to tease him. He loved to watch Yixing go flustered and red and stumble on his words. It was an upside to the strange situation Chanyeol’s arrival brought about: Kyungsoo had a reason to tease him pretty much every day. 

 

“Is it that obvious?”

 

“Very.”

 

“This is a stupid problem to have.” Yixing sighed out as he uncovered his face. “It shouldn’t be this hard. To say something.”

 

“I agree.” Chanyeol had eyes after all, and Kyungsoo assumed they worked well enough. Yixing was clearly handsome. He was also clever and charming and funny and caring. He was a catch. Frankly Kyungsoo was confused at why Chanyeol didn’t already jump at one of the many chances he had to ask Yixing out himself, but he had to be waiting for the opportunity to accept a date with Yixing. Hell, Kyungsoo would be. He wouldn’t even have let Yixing get to the point where he was wondering and growing flowers night after night. “So what did your grandmother really say about this?”

 

“She said once I get my emotions sorted out it should stop.” Yixing took the bowl Kyungsoo held out for him, turning it slowly under the running water. “That’s why she said it usually happens when we’re younger, it’s usually because of...” Yixing trailed a bit, his face getting redder as he grabbed another soapy dish from Kyungsoo.

 

“Immense horniness?” Yixing sputtered, turning away from Kyungsoo laughed. Kyungsoo started to chuckle as well, the sound of Yixing’s laughter contagious. “It’s okay to admit. Maybe if you get your grass mowed--” Yixing dropped the dish he was holding into the sink and braced himself on the edge of it as he continued to laugh, “--then maybe your real grass problem will stop.”

 

“Ah Kyungsoo, are you so concerned about the state of my lawn?” Kyungsoo licked his lips thoughtfully.

 

“It’s a nice lawn, it deserves to be taken care of.”

 

Instead of breaking down into further embarrassment or playing along with him Yixing straightened up and looked at him like he was considering something. “Would you?” Kyungsoo hiked up a brow. “Take care of it?”

 

Kyungsoo’s thoughts went upstairs again, to the love note broken into sentences that he’d been taking every morning. The love letter to Chanyeol. He couldn’t tell Yixing that he knew who he was really after because it meant coming clean about either the flowers or the fact that he was paying a little too much attention to the daily flirting taking place just a few steps away from his house.

 

It also meant admitting that his interest in Yixing extended beyond a neighbor and a friend. 

 

“I’m sure there’s a gardener out there for you,” Kyungsoo said, just as Jongin walked into the kitchen.

 

“Can we eat? Junmyeon brought his karaoke mic and he’s trying to turn it on now.” Jongin looked exasperated already at the possibility of seeing Junmyeon’s performance of the greatest girl group hits of all time on an empty stomach and Kyungsoo related strongly with that feeling.

 

“Almost, Chanyeol will be here soon. Start setting up the table? Take out the meat and everything.”

 

“I’ll help you with that.” Yixing abandoned his spot by the sink so he could follow Jongin to the fridge. Jongin smiled as he allowed Yixing to take a plate out of his hands.

 

“This hyung is so nice, offering to help with everything. Can you come to our next get together?”

 

“If you invite me I’ll come.”

 

“I’m inviting you! Give me your contact so I can.”

 

The prospect of more dinner and drinking nights with Yixing was a nice one. Kyungsoo smiled to himself as he went back to the dishes. At least he could be closer to Yixing in that way when everything was said and done and Yixing’s lawn was finally mowed.

 

Speaking of the devil, said gardener arrived not too long after the table was set up. He had a bottle of wine in one hand and an apologetic look on his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know yo guys were going to actually wait for me to eat.”

 

“You brought alcohol, we’re even.” Kyungsoo took the bottle from him and waved him in the direction of the table. The last round of introductions were made as Chanyeol settled himself into the empty spot between Sehun and Jongin. Kyungsoo took the free spot next to Yixing. As soon as his butt hit the floor he instructed everyone to dig in. He barely had a chance to finish the sentence before chopsticks went flying.

 

Like Yixing, Chanyeol was able to easily fall into conversation and laughter with Kyungsoo’s friends. Kyungsoo had expected him to mostly talk to Yixing, but when Chanyeol found out Sehun also worked with animals for a living his attention was taken for the rest of the night. Occasionally he did glance in Yixing’s direction when he was laughing with Kyungsoo but it never got further than that.

 

Somewhere between his umpteeth drink for the night and letting Junmyeon turn on his karaoke mic Kyungsoo reminded himself that it was none of his business. Well, kind of his business since he had those roses, but beyond that it had nothing to do with him. If the two wanted to do this utterly confusing dance around each other then they could have fun with it. Eventually he would return those roses and completely wash his hands of it.

 

Eventually.

 

Kyungsoo had flashes of moments that happened the rest of the night. Junmyeon singing, them in the middle of a card game, laughter as bodies pressed up against his, dancing, more laughter, then there was nothing but a blur.

 

Then there was Kyungsoo waking up with a pounding head and dry mouth. He was in his bed and Sehun was with him, draped over the edge on the other side. Kyungsoo closed his eyes and tried to capture sleep again but it was futile. Once he was up sleep was gone for the day. With a small he pulled himself out of bed and did what he always did after a night of drinking: make sure everyone else was still alive.

 

He checked Sehun off as okay as he pushed his friend’s lanky body so he was lying fully on the bed. Sehun stirred a bit, turning onto his side and curling up tightly. Kyungsoo covered him in a blanket before changing into a clean black shirt and jeans.

 

Junmyeon and Jongin were in the living room. Jongin was on the couch while Junmyeon was lying on the floor not too far away. Kyungsoo went to the kitchen for a long drink of water before taking care of the two, rooting around in his closet for his extra blankets to toss on them. After that he checked around the rest of the house but he failed to find his neighbors. He assumed they walked home at some point during the night, however he wanted to make sure of it with his own sober eyes.

 

Kyungsoo squint against the too bright sunlight as he walked outside. He would check on Yixing and Chanyeol, then he would go back home to make his hangover cure and--

 

And his house was definitely not like that yesterday.

 

The bushes on Yixing’s side of the house had grown overnight. Kyungsoo was so used to it that he would have barely paid it mind, except the greenery stretched beyond Yixing’s fence and crawled into Kyungsoo’s yard, stopping just shy of creeping up the side of his house.

 

Kyungsoo stopped and stared at the tangle of vines that connected his house to Yixing’s. “Okay,” he said softly before continuing onto Yixing’s place. Surprisingly the path to his door remained unblocked. Out of habit he looked to his left as he approached, searching for the hiding spot of the roses that grew out of the mess. He had to stop and push around for it a bit but he managed to find it. It was a soft orange, its glow reminding him of a sunset. When he brushed his fingers against it a petal fell away.

 

_ ‘Why am I bothering? He wouldn’t be interested. I thought he would but...’  _ Another petal dropped to the ground when he jerked his hand away. More fell on their own until there was just a single one left, the echo of Yixing’s voice barely audible when he touched it again. Though he couldn’t see Chanyeol’s house through the cluster of bushes Kyungsoo glared in that direction anyway. What the hell happened between the party and Yixing getting home?

 

Yixing came to his door after a few knocks. “Just checking to see if you’re alive,” Kyungsoo said as the door slowly open.

 

“You didn’t have to come over.” Yixing spoke as he yawned, half heartedly covering his mouth.

 

“I know. I can’t find my phone.” A soft laugh left Yixing. The lazy smile that followed made Kyungsoo’s heart jump.

 

Yixing stepped out of the house and Kyungsoo followed behind him as he walked out and onto the sidewalk, back into the full light of the sun. “Are you alive?” He echoed Kyungsoo’s question, a hand lifting to shield his eyes.

 

“Barely.”

 

“You drank a lot, I’m surprised you’re out of bed.”

 

“I’m used to it. I usually have to make sure no one’s in a ditch after when we go out. Don't turn around.”

 

Yixing did it anyway, lowering his hand as he took in the sight of their houses joined by the product of his lovestruck sleeping. He sighed heavily. 

 

“I'm sorry Kyungsoo. I'm getting to be a bit of a nuisance now.”

 

“No.” Kyungsoo, going by Yixing's tone, completely passed on making a joke. “You're not doing this on purpose.”

 

“Yes, but…” He sighed again, shoulders sagging a bit. “It's a stupid problem to have, like I said.” Yixing ran his hand over his head before pulling up the hood on his hoodie like he was retreating to hide under it. “I'm still hungover, would it be okay if I took care of this tomorrow?”

 

“Yea, no rush. I am too. As soon as I take my friends home I'm lying back down.”

 

“You have a headache?” Kyungsoo nodded. He regretted that at once, head pounding like his brain was actually bumping up against the side of his skull. “Ah, let me fix it? It's the least I can do.”

 

“It’s okay, I...what?”

 

Kyungsoo was thrown off by Yixing extending his hand and wiggling his fingers. He continued to wiggle them as he explained himself. “I’m a healer, that’s my skill. But I need to touch you.”

 

After a few moments of hesitation Kyungsoo shrugged. “Is this going to make me grow?”

 

“It shouldn’t.”

 

“Damn.”

 

Yixing turned to face him and reached a hand out to touch Kyungsoo’s neck, a thumb rubbing brushing against his cheek. His fingers radiated a warmth familiar to the roses. Kyungsoo met Yixing’s eyes. He wasn’t dramatic, so Kyungsoo couldn’t say that he lost his breath looking at Yixing, but damn if he didn’t feel like it was possible.

 

“Feel better?”

 

The throbbing behind his temple did indeed melt away. There was little lingering ache of one too many drinks but the worst of it was gone. Kyungsoo shook his head, reluctant to have Yixing pull his hand away. Yixing laughed. His eyes sparkled when he did. “I really can’t make you taller, if that’s what you want. You should buy some heels.”

 

“Fuck him.”

 

Bewilderment suddenly took over Yixing’s face. He snatched his hand back. “I was kidding! I’m not even that much taller!”

 

“No, fuck Chanyeol.”

 

“I understand that feeling but it’s not his fault he’s that tall! I don’t even know if he likes it, he hunches down whenever he talks to me!”

 

“No, this is a stupid problem to have.”

 

“Just stand further back when you talk to him, that’s what I used to do.”

 

“No, I’m talking about him not being interested. Fuck him if he’s not. ” Confusion remained fixed on Yixing's face but it didn't deter Kyungsoo. “I know about your crush on Chanyeol and all the flowers you've been growing for him and fuck him if he doesn't think you're amazing.” He wasn't going to let Yixing go around thinking he wasn’t. “And he probably does I see him with you all the time you just need to put yourself out there instead of hiding behind a wall of bushes and roses.”

 

Yixing looked at him with his mouth hanging open. “I'm very lost,” he said after a stretch of silence. Kyungsoo nodded.

 

“I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

 

He was going to have to come clean about the flowers anyway. Better sooner than later. The longer he held onto them the harder it was going to be to convince himself to give them back. It was already taking him a little while to convince himself to just take the vase off of his dresser. He stared at the bouquet, every rose as bright and fresh as they were the day he picked them. He looked at the one in the center. He didn’t have to touch it to know what message it held, Kyungsoo had them all memorized at that point. 

 

_ ‘He’s beautiful.’ _

 

Yixing wasn’t doing it on purpose but he was still growing flowers overflowing with affection for Chanyeol. Who wouldn’t respond to that? Or consider themselves lucky? If Chanyeol saw them then surely Yixing wouldn’t be left thinking that he wasn’t interested.

 

“Those are pretty flowers hyung.”

 

Carefully Kyungsoo took the vase. Sehun sat up in bed and watched him as he walked to the door. “Who are they for?”

 

“Chanyeol.”

 

“Huh? Wait, I’m confused.”

 

Kyungsoo didn’t wait. Back outside Yixing was waiting right where Kyungsoo left him, however Chanyeol was now standing beside him. Always near him, always beaming, even if he was in the same clothes as the night before, disheveled and almost certainly hungover like everyone else. He spotted Kyungsoo and the flowers and his smile went to blinding levels. He began to shake Yixing’s shoulder, hopping once before visibly cringing and sticking to shaking a still bewildered looking Yixing.

 

“I’m excited,” Kyungsoo heard Chanyeol say when he got closer. “Shit, I should leave.”

 

“Don’t go, these are for you.”

 

Chanyeol’s smile fell. He looked at the vase that Kyungsoo held out to him, then at Yixing. “I’m confused.” Yixing’s mouth hung open further.

 

“Those are mine! I thought I wasn’t growing anything but leaves and vines.” A little marveled smile passed his lips as he studied the flowers. That smile fell quickly. “So you’ve been taking my flowers to give to Chanyeol?”

 

“No. You’ve been growing them for him right?”

 

If Yixing looked anymore lost--so very genuinely lost and not just faking it--Kyungsoo would worry that he didn’t know who he was anymore. “Touch one. All the messages are for him.”

 

“Messages?” Despite looking no more enlightened than before Yixing touched one. He jerked his hand away at first just like Kyungsoo did when he first found a rose. Slowly he touched another and another, and a blush rose to his cheeks, his eyes going wide as well. “You heard all of this?” Kyungsoo nodded. Chanyeol reached out to touch a blue rose near the edge of the vase. 

 

“I don’t hear anything.” Kyungsoo frowned. Meanwhile Yixing started to smile.

 

“Go rest Chanyeol, I’ll talk to you later.”

 

“Oh, shit, shit, yea I need to go.” The beaming smile returned to his face. He gave a thumbs up to them both before hurrying towards his house.

 

“Now I’m confused,” Kyungsoo said. Yixing laughed a little bit, then bit the edge of his lip, turning away from the flowers and looking at Kyungsoo.

 

“Why do you think these are for Chanyeol?”

 

“Your house didn’t start going Jumanji until he moved in.” Yixing’s gaze fell off to the side for a moment, going silent as he thought.

 

“Ah, it does line up.” Kyungsoo waited for clarification that never came. Yixing looked him in the eye for just a second. He then looked up and covered his face with his hands, giving a whine. “This should be easier now,” was what he thought Yixing said but he couldn’t be sure of it. Finally he dropped his hands. “The flowers are not for Chanyeol.”

 

“You grow one every day after talking to Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo pointed out to him. He hoped he wasn’t going to have to talk Yixing completely through his crush--

 

“I talk to you every day.”

 

“Oh.” They did. Since he found the flowers he made a point to go and see Yixing every day, curious about whatever new event that made Yixing swoon. “Then I have a dream about you. Then you come steal a flower and listen to what I was thinking about you.”

 

Oh.

 

“Oh."

 

Oh. The flowers he couldn’t resist, the vase of stolen affection, the thoughts he wanted to be for him were for him.

 

“Oh.”

 

Yixing reached out for the vase, trying to take it from his hands. “I’m so sorry about--”

 

Kyungsoo held onto the vase tighter. They were his after all. Yixing thought all that about him. He didn’t dare think too hard about the past days or about how many obvious signals he brushed off because he thought Yixing had eyes for their new neighbor. He did think about standing next to Yixing the night before washing dishes, confused as to why Chanyeol didn’t jump at the chance to date Yixing because he would.

 

“Come out with me.” Yixing dropped his hold on the vase. Since he didn’t respond right away Kyungsoo went on. “You want to make up for this right?” Kyungsoo tipped his head in the direction of his vine covered fence. Yixing nodded, smiling slowly. “Then come out with me tomorrow.”

 

“Oh, I promised I would help Chanyeol with something tom--”

 

“We can reschedule!”

 

Chanyeol said he needed to leave but apparently he thought just getting to his fence was gone enough. Kyungsoo was surprised he didn’t notice him looming in the background. Yixing turned to look at him as well. “I’m sorry, but you guys are so cute. You’re both blushing. Ah, okay, seriously, I’m going now.”

 

“So he is just like that,” Kyungsoo said.

 

“He’s like a puppy,” Yixing agreed. “But now I’m free tomorrow, so okay.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Yixing grinned. That damn dimple again, it could stop a man’s heart. “Now was that so hard?” He laughed brightly, almost relieved, pulling his hood further down on his head.

 

“Yes! I was so nervous!”

 

“Why?”

 

“Lately when I think of you I…” Yixing trailed off into another whine. Kyungsoo didn’t know how a grown man could make that sound. It was the cutest thing he had ever heard. It made Kyungsoo laugh, and if Yixing had any more room to duck under his hood he would have.

 

“I--”

 

“Sorry guy, I really want to go home, but my house…”

 

Kyungsoo looked at Chanyeol standing sheepishly off to the side and then over to his house which looked a lot worse than Kyungsoo’s. Vines and branches carried over the fence and across the front of the house, covering all the doors and windows. That was definitely not like that two minutes ago. 

 

“I’m sorry Chanyeol, I didn’t know this could happen while I’m awake. I guess I’m happy.”

 

Kyungsoo smiled to himself when he heard that. He then fell into step behind Yixing and Chanyeol so they could free Chanyeol’s house from the effects of Yixing’s happiness.

\--

 

“I’m nervous. Why am I nervous?”

 

Yixing got to the movie theater early. It was closer to his studio than he thought; he arrived with a whole hour to kill, and that was after assuming that Kyungsoo would get there early himself. So he sat in the lobby of the theater and called Chanyeol.

 

“Why are you nervous? I’m excited! I was starting to worry it was never going to happen.”

 

Yixing understood Chanyeol’s excitement. He had been invested in the outcome of Yixing’s crush since his house was first covered in overeager plants responding to his secret affections. He even volunteered to go over and play cupid on Yixing’s behalf more than once, and Yixing was glad that he refused. He couldn’t imagine how much worse Kyungsoo’s misunderstand could have gotten if he had to listen to Chanyeol talking about how great Yixing was and how awesome it would be to date him.

 

_ ‘...you’re amazing…’ _

 

“What if we go out and he thinks he likes me okay but doesn’t want to date me?”

 

“That’s a risk you have to take.” Chanyeol’s words were the same ones Yixing’s grandmother gave him when he called to find out why his ability was going and doing things without his permission and how to get it to stop. It wasn’t an instant fix but it would stop him from healing and nurturing the things around him in his sleep. And it was good life advice in general. “I don’t think you should worry about it. Sehun says Kyungsoo is sweet on you and always mentioning you.”

 

“Sehun? You talk to him?”

 

“Yea, we exchanged numbers at the party. I was just going to refer him as a groomer for the dogs I train but...I might have a crush of my own.”

 

Yixing laughed. “Be direct with him, okay? The neighbors might ignore my house but I think they’ll have have something to say if  you start burning things down.” Chanyeol laughed as well.

 

“Hey, I brought a pair of shears for you, can you bring a fire extighuisher for me?”

 

“Okay, that’s fair.”

 

“Oh, but I think Sehun might be a Skilled! When we were talking he mentioned--”

 

Yixing was distracted from his friend’s theory on Sehun’s potential skills. He spotted Kyungsoo across the lobby, heading in the direction of the arcade.

 

“I have to go, Kyungsoo just got here.” Yixing swore he could hear the smile on Chanyeol’s face.

 

“Okay, have fun! Don’t be nervous it will be great! Call me later!”

 

Yixing hung up and went over to the arcade. He stopped at the threshold to watch Kyungsoo sit at the driver’s seat of a racing game. Yixing had expected him to come to the movies straight from work like he did, but instead of his usual button down and tie he was dressed similar to Yixing in jeans and a t-shirt. Little butterflies flew in his stomach.

 

The last time he talked with his grandmother he asked her why this was happening to him now. He had been Kyungsoo’s neighbor for a year. They talked off and on, not nearly as much as they had in the past few months but still enough to consider themselves friendly. Why hadn’t his heart and all of his shrubs exploded sooner?

 

“You can’t rush spring,” she said, “and flowers don’t bloom all at once.”

 

So had that moment been his spring then? Watching from his window as Kyungsoo’s friend dropped him off outside his house, laughing and talking, almost glowing in the sunlight, leaving Yixing taken aback by how handsome he was and dreaming about him that night and almost every night after that.

 

Kyungsoo turned away from his game and they met eyes. At once Kyungsoo smiled and waved him over. Yixing was still a little nervous, but Chanyeol was right. His spring was here, he needed to stop shying away from the sunlight.

 

“Are you ever going to fix up your house?”

 

Chanyeol was right twice. As he predicted the night went well. It was just a movie and coffee but Yixing enjoyed himself. He liked spending time around Kyungsoo, and it was that much better when they weren’t being constantly interrupted by well meaning neighbors with horrible timing. Afterwards they had to drive home separately but Kyungsoo was waiting for Yixing when he made it back.

 

Yixing sighed and shook his head. “I might rent a chainsaw one day but for now it makes me so tired to think about.” He looked left and right at both of his neighbor’s houses caught up in the mess before starting up the walkway to his door. “I should help you and Chanyeol first anyway. I can come over this weekend and work on your side.”

 

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo said as he looked over at his house. He then followed Yixing to his porch. “You can come out with me again, then we can call it even.”

 

Yixing ducked his head, hiding his smile. “Okay.” So Kyungsoo had a good time too. Things could go well. It was hard to lie and say he wouldn’t get his hopes up when he already grew a garden’s worth of roses from Kyungsoo but--

 

“Thief.” Yixing looked up suddenly when he remembered something.

 

“What?”

 

“No what. My rose. I looked all over this morning and couldn’t find one.”

 

Kyungsoo looked innocently at him. “Were you dreaming about me last night?”

 

Heat rose to Yixing’s cheeks. “Don’t change the subject flower thief.”

 

“What was it about?”

 

“You tell me, you’re the one with the rose message.”

 

Kyungsoo smiled and stepped in closer to Yixing. He hooked a finger in a belt loop of Yixing’s jeans and tugged him until he had to step in as well. Kyungsoo leaned into him and Yixing mimicked him, their lips softly meeting halfway. “Did I get it right?” Kyungsoo asked him when he pulled away. Yixing drew him into another kiss instead of replying. It was so much better than what he dreamt.

 

When they parted again Kyungsoo turned his head to the side. Yixing followed his line of sight and saw another rose in the same spot he found the other one in that morning. Kyungsoo reached out for it but Yixing grabbed his hand. “I can just show you what that one says.” Kyungsoo smiled at him widely and Yixing’s heart threatened to burst.

 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw another rose crop up. And another and another. Yixing ignored them in favor of hooking his finger under Kyungsoo’s chin, bringing their lips back together, kissing him deeper. Kyungsoo pulled him closer when Yixing started nibbling and sucking at his lower lip. Then he guided Yixing until his back was pressed against his front door.

 

“Are you going to invite me in?” Kyungsoo said when they pulled apart. “Because I don’t think I can leave.”

 

“I know the feeling,” Yixing whispered, his eyes still closed. He didn’t want the night to be over and he was sure there was a rose that conveyed his thoughts among the sudden dozen that--

 

“No, I really can’t leave.”

 

Yixing opened his eyes and saw that his walkway that managed to stay clear for weeks was completely blocked off by rose bushes and extended out so far that Kyungsoo had been forced to push Yixing up against his door to keep from getting encased by them.

 

“Shit.” Letting go of Kyungsoo, Yixing dug into his pocket for his phone. “I’ll get Chanyeol to--” Kyungsoo stopped him with a gentle touch.

 

“We don’t have to call him tonight.”

\--

_ How did it go?????? _

 

Chanyeol didn’t expect Yixing to answer right away. It was still early; Chanyeol was just about to start his morning run. But dammit he was excited to hear about how Yixing’s date went. Hopefully as soon as he woke up he would reply with enough details to hold him over until they could talk again.

 

Once the text was confirmed as delivered Chanyeol tucked his phone away and started out the door and down his walkway. From there he just narrowly avoided tripping as he passed Yixing’s house.

 

It was covered in flowers. There had to be hundreds of them, large and small, in more varieties than Chanyeol could possibly name. His jaw went slack. Several birds flew past him to settle into the massive shrubs, joining the other groups that were already there. After a few more moments of silently taking in the view Chanyeol laughed and took out his phone.

 

_ Never mind, I see it went well ;) I’ll bring the shears later _


End file.
